Faisal Rashid, MP for Warrington South, recently met with the organisers of the Breaking Point campaign to call for a real end to austerity for local councils. Conservative cuts to local government of over £16 billion since 2010 mean councils have lost 60p out of every £1 that the last Labour Government was spending on local government in 2010.

The ‘Breaking Point’ campaign exposes the crisis in council finances after £16bn in cuts since 2010 – and warns more councils may follow Northamptonshire into bankruptcy.

After almost a decade of Conservative cuts to local government many councils are now facing a crisis in funding – Northamptonshire has already gone bust, and many others are now facing bankruptcy.

The ‘Breaking Point’ petition is the most-signed petition of Labour councillors ever. Over 5,000 Labour councillors, including Labour councillors from Warrington South, have signed the petition calling on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to cancel the further planned £1.3bn cut to councils, and to provide an immediate cash injection to stop children’s services and adult social care from collapsing.

The petition has now been handed in to 10 Downing Street ahead of the Budget on 29th October.

Faisal Rashid MP said:

“The Breaking Point campaign has my total support. Labour councillors have come together in unprecedented numbers to send a clear warning to the Prime Minister and Chancellor that austerity is driving councils to the point of total collapse.

“I am joining with Labour councillors to deliver a powerful message to the Prime Minister and Chancellor that councils simply cannot take any more cuts. The next Labour Government will sustainably fund our councils and put an end to this crisis. If the Budget does not reverse the further cuts planned to local government for next year then there is no doubt that more councils will collapse into bankruptcy, causing devastating effects for children at risk, disabled adults, and vulnerable older people.”

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of the LGA Labour Group said:

“We’re delighted that Faisal Rashid MP is backing the ‘Breaking Point’ campaign. A record number of Labour councillors have signed the Breaking Point petition in less than two weeks – which shows the depth of anger and concern at the state of council finances. If the Prime Minister‘s claim that ‘austerity is over’ is to have any credibility, she simply must find the money we need to stop vital services from disintegrating.”